What’s happening?
Townsville author Cynthia Sappracone has released a new children’s picture book about sugarcane harvesting.
The Sugarcane Harvester Song follows young Malcolm and his magpie companion, Maggie, through North Queensland cane fields.
Written to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus, the book blends sing-along lines with rhyming read-aloud sections.
The story helps young readers follow the movement of a sugarcane harvester and understand what the machine is doing.
Sappracone said the book was created for both farming families and children with no direct farming background.
“Farm kids deserve to see their lives reflected in the stories they read,” Sappracone said.
“And for children who aren’t from farming communities, this is a chance to build that connection and curiosity.”
Why it matters?
Children’s books often feature tractors and general farm life, but sugarcane farming is rarely the main focus.
That gap matters in North Queensland, where sugarcane remains a major part of local agriculture and community life.
The book also supports early learning through rhyme, repetition and sound words across each page.
It gives young children a clear, simple way to connect a machine, a crop and the food system.
Sappracone said she also wanted the story to feel inclusive.
“Like my son, Malcolm’s limb difference is simply a part of who he is, it doesn’t define him,” she said.
“I wanted to create a story where children like him can see themselves, while also helping to normalize diversity for all readers.”
Local Impact
This story has a strong North Queensland feel, from its sugarcane setting to its Townsville author.
It was inspired by a family visit to Ingham, where Sappracone’s son became interested in sugarcane trains and farming displays.
The book is also available through select Townsville stockists, including Mary Who? Bookshop and Little Brick Road Espresso.
For local families, it offers a story that reflects regional work, local landscapes and familiar industry.
By the numbers
- The book is designed for children aged 2 to 7, giving early readers a simple entry point into farming life.
- Sappracone moved to Australia in 2019, and now writes from Townsville while studying psychology.
- This is the first title in the Malcolm and Maggie’s Farm Adventures series, marking the start of a new local children’s collection.
Zoom In
Each page introduces a different part of the sugarcane harvester through rhythm, repetition and playful sound words.
That format helps children listen, join in and remember what they are seeing.
The story grew from a real family moment in Ingham.
Sappracone’s son became fascinated by sugarcane trains and traditional farming displays during the visit.
Those questions later became a story, and then a song.
The book also carries a personal layer through Malcolm, whose limb difference is included naturally in the story.
Zoom Out
The book speaks to a wider gap in children’s publishing.
Australian farming is often shown in broad terms, but specific industries like sugarcane are rarely centred for young readers.
That makes this release more than a sing-along book.
It adds agricultural learning, regional representation and everyday diversity to early childhood reading.
Sappracone’s background in psychology and interest in early childhood development also sit closely with the book’s learning focus.
What To Look For Next?
The Sugarcane Harvester Song is the first book in the Malcolm and Maggie’s Farm Adventures series.
That leaves room for more farm-based stories built around young children, regional life and familiar Australian industries.
Sappracone said the book has already met its purpose if it sparks interest in farming.
“If this book sparks even one child’s curiosity about farming, or inspires them to consider a future in agriculture, then it has done what it set out to do,” she said.
About the author
Cynthia Sappracone is a Townsville-based children’s author and founder of Hickory Wattle Press.
Originally from Canada, she moved to Australia in 2019.
She now lives in North Queensland with her husband and two young sons.
Alongside her writing, she is studying psychology with a strong interest in early childhood development.
The Sugarcane Harvester Song is her debut book.
